Track-wrench.



No. 696,579. Patented Apr. I, I902.

J. w. m unsuous.

TRACK WRENCH.

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1901.3

(No Model.)

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PATENT Unmet).

.TOIIN \V. MOREHOUS, OF SAT/I. LAKE CITY, U'lAll'.

TFlACK WRENCl l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,579, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 56,314. (No model-J To In whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. MOREHOUS, a citizen of the United States residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track JVrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in track-wrenches for securing the nuts and bolts to the fish-plates of the rail at the joints of the latter; and its object is to construct a machine of this character which will possess strength, durability, simplicity,and efficiency in its operation.

Another object is to construct a machine of the above-referred-to class that is applicable to all forms and sizes of rails, is easily attachable on same, and when in position may be clamped thereto, the parts being so arranged as to afford a convenient and rapid manipulation of the machine.

Myinvention consists of aframe bifurcated at its base to envelop the top and sides of the rail and carrying a yieldable nut-soeket, a clamping device, gripping-jaws to facilitate the longitudinal movement of the machine upon the rail, and means for operating the yieldable socket.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of my invention reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine applied to the rail. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the nut-socket and its opcrating-gear. Fig. 4c is a detail perspective of the gripping-jaws. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the spring-plate, which rests on the top of the rail when the machine is in operation.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the rail, 13 the fish-plates, and O the bolt passing through the fish-plates and the web of the rail, all of which are of the usual construction.

The rectangular frame 1 is composed of the two upright bars and the transverse bars 2 and 3, the upper bar 2 being U shape and secured at its ends to the upright bar, while the bar 3 is secured to the lower ends of the upright bars to strengthen and brace the frame and adapted to engage the head of the bolt, as shown in Fig. 2. Another lJ-shape bar lis attached to the bars 1 and adapted to carry the socket and its operating mechanism upon the opposite side of the rail. This U-shape bar 4: and the an gularly-bent ends of the upright bars form the bifurcated end of the frame in which the rail fits.

.lournaled within the ill-shape bar at is a shaft 5, carrying at its inner end the nutsocket 6 and having rigidly secured thereon a sprocket-wheel 7. This shaft 5 is loosely journaled within the frame, that it may play longitudinally as well as rotate within its bearing.

Secured to the frame and extending outwardly from the same is a rod 8, encircled by a spiral spring 9, and which spring serves, through the pivotal connection with the lever 10, to hold the socket in engagement with the nut and thereby provide a yieldable socket. The lever 10 is pivoted intermediate of its ends to the plate 11, secured to the frame, one end of the lever loosely sliding upon the rod 8 and contacting with the spring upon the same, while the other end is fitted to the outer end of the shaft 5, and the end of the shaft being screw-threaded and provided with nuts upon each side of the lever the tension on the spring and the movement of the socket may be regulated.

Mounted upon the frame is a rock-shaft 12, having a right-angular bend 12 at its end, which forms a handle for operating the shaft. Secured to the shaft are the clamping-arms 18, adapted to engage the edge of the tread of the rail, and thereby hold the machine in position and the bar 3 against the head of the bolt, as shown in Fig. 2.

To obtain a nieety of vertical adjustment, so that the socket may be brought into alinement with the bolt, a spring-plate 1a, provided with a slot lat, is secured to the frame and adapted to rest upon the top of the rail and yields slightly to the pressure brought upon the frame when it is desired to bring the socket into the position opposite the bolt.

This spring-plate is secured rigidly at one end to the frame. The other end being loose and provided with a longitudinal slot forms a cushion for the frame when in position upon the rail.

Mounted in the U-shaped bar 2 in the top of the frame is an axle 15, carrying a sprocketwheel 16, which is connected to the sprocketwheel 7 by a sprocket-chain 17. Suitable crank-handles 18 are adapted to be fitted upon either or both ends of the axle 15 for rotating the sprocket-wheel 16 and the nutsocket at the base of the machine by means of the sprocket-gearing connecting the two wheels.

Pivotally hung beside the frame are a pair of gripping-jaws 20, provided with plates 21 and 22, which engage the side of the rail and which are kept distended by means of the spring 23, encircling the rod 24, which rod is rigidly fixed to one jaw, but adapted to freely slide within the opening formed in the other jaw. The plates secured to the ends of the jaw are provided with similar rods 25, rigidly secured at one end to one of the plates, but freely slide within the openings of the other plate. These rods rest upon the tread of the rail when the track-wrench is in operative position and-serve to limit the downward throw of the gripping jaws. By this arrangement of rods the jaws and plates are always disposed in a horizontal plane in readiness to grip the rail. The bolt which forms the pivotal connection for the jaws has an enlarged head 26, provided with an opening through which a link 27 is passed, this link forminga jointed connection with the extension 28 upon the side of the frame. The bolt is provided with washers a a upon each side of the jaws and a jam-nut b on its outer end, thereby allowing the jaws to be swung transversely with respect to the rail.

By means of forming a jointed connection of the jaws to the frame and a transverse movement of the jaws a universal joint is established, whereby the jaws can be conveniently thrown to the position desired. To further maintain the efficiency in the operation of the jaws, a suitable coil-spring 29 is interposed between the frame and the handle and held in position by its ends engaging the handle and frame. This spring prevents the jaws from dropping when they are not in use and holds them normally in an upright position.

In constructing railroads it is the practice to secure fish-plates at the joint of the rails by means of bolts which pass through the fish-plates and the web of the rail, and there usually being a series of bolts at each joint it is necessary to secure nuts upon the ends of the bolts to hold them normally to form a substantial joint. It will be seen by the present machine that the operation of securing these nuts to the bolts is greatly facilitated, its operation being as follows: The lower end of the frame is adapted to envelop the top and sides of the rail, as shown in Fig. 2, and the bar 3, pressing against the head of the bolt, prevents it from being loosened while the nut is being secured to the other end of the same. The rockshaf t 12 will be thrown to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the clamping-arms 13 will engage the side of the rail, and should the bolt be slightly above or below the socket the latter may be brought into alinement with the bolt by a slight pressure upon the frame, the spring 1 L acting as a compensator. When the fish-plates are of different thicknesses,and consequently the bolts longer or shorter, the socket-shaft 5 may be adjusted through its yieldable connection with the frame to assume the proper position upon the rail. The spring 9 tending to exert an outward pressure'upon the free end of the lever 10 will cause the opposite end of the lever to be thrown inward and hold the socket in engagement with the nut. When the machine has been adjusted to the proper position, the cranks 18 may be turned, which will revolve the sprocket-wheel 16 and through the sprocket-chain 17 rotate the shaft 5 and its socket and tightly bind the nut upon the bolt. By pushing the free end of the lever 11 against the pressure of the spring the socket may be released from the nut. When it is desired to move the machine longitudinally to bring the socket into engagement with the next bolt, the plates 21 and 2 may be caused to grip the sides of the rail and through the link connection 27 move the machine back and forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a track-wrench, a frame, a yieldable socket carried by the frame, means for clamping the frame to the rail, sprocket-gearing for operating the socket, and a cushioning-sprin g to permit the vertical adjustment of the wrench toward and from the track-rail, substantially as described.

2. In a track-Wrench, a frame, a yieldable, rotatable socket carried by said frame, a rockshaft provided with clamping-arms mounted in the frame, a cushioning-spring adapted to engage the top of the rail, and provided with a slot, a driving-sprocket connected with the driven sprocket on the socketshaft, combined with means for moving the machine longitudinally upon the rail.

3. In a track-wrench, a frame, a yielding socket-shaft journaled in the frame, an arm rigidly connected to the frame, a spring on the arm, a lever fulcrumed on the frame, one end of said lever engaging the spring on the rigid arm and the other end adjustably secured to the socket-shaft whereby the said. socket-shaft is held in constant engagement with the nut to be turned.

4. In a track-wrench, a frame, a rotatable socket yieldably mounted upon the frame, a spring-pressed lever pivoted to the frame and connected with the socket to hold the same in constant engagement; with the nut to he turned, means for clamping the frame to the rail combined with means independent of the clamping means for moving the frame along the rail.

5. In a track-wrench, the combination with a frame, of gripping-jaws secured thereto by a link connection and adapted to be swung lengthwise of the rail, plates on the jaws to engage the sides of the rail, rods connecting the plates and extending across the rails to limit the downward throw of the j aws, means to normally hold the gripping-jaws expanded and a spring to maintain the jaws in a vertical position.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame adapted to rest upon the rail, a yieldable socket carried by said frame, a cushioningspring secured to the frame and provided with a longitudinal slot, clamping-arms adapted to engage the side of the rail, sprocketgearing for operating the socket, combined with means for moving the machine along the rail, said means consisting of gripping-jaws having the platesto engage the sides of the rail, said jaws adapted to be attached to the frame by a universal joint, and a spring to maintain the jaws in. a vertical position, substantially as described.

7. In a track-wrench, the combination with the frame of a cushioning device to permit the vertical adjustment of the wrench toward and from the track-rail.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN XV. MOREI'IOUS,

WVitnesses:

MARINA BURNHAM, JOHN F. German. 

